Decca Classics has signed Alis Huws, the Official Royal Harpist, who was personally selected by His Majesty King Charles III to perform at his Coronation at Westminster Abbey a year ago.
To celebrate the news, Huws has shared her new single, “Tra Bo Dau,” which will be featured on an EP set to be released later this year.
Alis, who grew up on a farm in the rural and picturesque hills of Montgomeryshire, Wales, now graces palaces with her enchanting harp melodies. She describes going from working in sheep pens in the morning to performing in front of royalty in the evening: “I had a day last year when I was at home in mid-Wales helping with the sheep and lambs from about six in the morning until lunchtime, then I hopped on a train to London and spent the whole evening playing in St. James’ Palace.”
Growing up, there was a harp in the family home, so it was inevitable that one of the four siblings would learn to play it, and although she did not immediately fall in love with the instrument, it ended up being Alis. Alis’ raw talent eventually led her to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and it was there, in 2019, that the then-prince (the college’s President) appointed her as the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales. Last year, when Charles III became King, Alis became the Royal Harpist.
At the Coronation of King Charles, Alis played ‘the gold harp’ (the official royal harp, made by Salvi Harps and embellished with intricate gold leaf decoration featuring the Welsh dragon), alongside the specially formed Coronation Orchestra in a performance of Sir Karl Jenkins’ “Tros y Garreg (Crossing the Stone).”
She recalls the coronation as the “pinnacle” of her five years in the role: “Watching history happen in front of my eyes felt surreal; it was such a privilege and honor.”